What Is Passover?
Quick Answer
Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrated every spring that remembers the time when the Israelites escaped from slavery in ancient Egypt. Families gather for a special dinner called a Seder, where they eat symbolic foods and retell the story of freedom.
Explaining By Age Group
Ages 3-5 Simple Explanation
You know how sometimes you hear a really exciting story about someone being brave and escaping from a bad situation? Passover is a holiday where Jewish families remember a story like that! A long, long time ago, some people called the Israelites were stuck being slaves, and they got to escape and be free.
During Passover, families sit together for a very special dinner called a Seder. It is not like a regular dinner because there are special foods on the table that each tell a part of the story. There is even a flat, crunchy bread called matzah that everyone eats!
One really fun part for kids is that they get to look for a hidden piece of matzah during the dinner. It is like a treasure hunt right at the table! The grown-ups hide it, and the kid who finds it gets a little prize. Kids also get to ask questions and be a big part of the dinner.
Passover lasts for about a week in the spring, and during that time, families eat matzah instead of regular bread. It is a time for being with family, telling stories, and being thankful for freedom. Everyone at the table gets to feel like they were part of the story!
Ages 6-8 More Detail
Passover is one of the most important Jewish holidays, and it happens every spring. It celebrates the story of how the Israelites escaped from Egypt, where they had been slaves for a very long time. The story is told in the Torah, which is the Jewish holy book, and it is also in the Bible.
The story goes that a leader named Moses asked the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the Israelites go free. When the Pharaoh said no, God sent ten plagues, or terrible things, to Egypt. After the last plague, the Pharaoh finally let the people go. The word Passover comes from how God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites during the last plague.
The most special part of Passover is the Seder dinner, which happens on the first night or the first two nights. Seder means "order" because everything happens in a certain order. Families read from a book called the Haggadah, which tells the whole story and guides them through the meal.
On the Seder plate, each food stands for something. Bitter herbs remind people of the hard life of slavery. A mixture of apples, nuts, and honey stands for the mortar the slaves used to build. A green vegetable dipped in salt water stands for tears. And matzah, the flat bread, reminds everyone that the Israelites left Egypt so fast their bread did not have time to rise.
One of the best parts for kids is the hunt for the afikomen. That is a piece of matzah that gets hidden during the meal. The kids search for it, and the one who finds it gets a small gift or prize. Children also get to ask four special questions during the Seder, which helps tell the story.
Ages 9-12 Full Explanation
Passover, called Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the oldest and most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. It takes place in the spring, usually in March or April, and lasts seven or eight days depending on tradition. The holiday remembers the Exodus, which is the story of how the Israelites were freed from slavery in ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
According to the story, the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for generations. God chose Moses to lead them to freedom. When the Pharaoh refused to release the slaves, God sent ten plagues upon Egypt, including rivers turning to blood, swarms of locusts, and darkness covering the land. Before the final plague, the Israelites were told to mark their doors so that the plague would "pass over" their homes, which is where the name Passover comes from.
The centerpiece of Passover is the Seder, a special dinner held on the first night (or first two nights). Families follow a specific order of prayers, songs, stories, and foods laid out in a book called the Haggadah. The Seder plate holds foods that each represent part of the story: maror (bitter herbs for the bitterness of slavery), charoset (a sweet mixture representing the mortar slaves used), karpas (a green vegetable dipped in salt water for tears), and a roasted bone and egg representing sacrifice and new life.
Matzah plays a huge role during Passover. This flat, unleavened bread reminds people that when the Israelites finally fled Egypt, they left in such a hurry that their bread dough did not have time to rise. During all of Passover, many Jewish families avoid eating any leavened bread, pasta, or baked goods made with yeast. Some families do a thorough cleaning of their homes before the holiday to remove every last crumb of leavened food.
Passover is not just about looking back at history. The holiday encourages people to think about freedom and what it means today. During the Seder, families discuss how people around the world still struggle for freedom, and they express hope that everyone will one day be free. It is a holiday that connects past and present, reminding each generation to value liberty and to stand up for those who do not yet have it.
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Tips for Parents
Passover can be a challenging topic to discuss with your child. Here are some practical tips to help guide the conversation:
DO: Follow your child's lead. Let them ask questions at their own pace rather than overwhelming them with information they haven't asked for yet. If they seem satisfied with a simple answer, that's okay — they'll come back with more questions when they're ready.
DO: Use honest, age-appropriate language. You don't need to share every detail, but avoid making up stories or deflecting. Kids can sense when you're being evasive, and honesty builds trust.
DO: Validate their feelings. Whatever emotion your child has in response to learning about passover, acknowledge it. Say things like 'It makes sense that you'd feel that way' or 'That's a really good question.'
DON'T: Don't dismiss their curiosity. Responses like 'You're too young for that' or 'Don't worry about it' can make children feel like their questions are wrong or shameful. If you're not ready to answer, say 'That's an important question. Let me think about the best way to explain it, and we'll talk about it tonight.'
DO: Create an ongoing dialogue. One conversation usually isn't enough. Let your child know that they can always come back to you with more questions about passover. This makes them more likely to come to you rather than seeking potentially unreliable sources.
Common Follow-Up Questions Kids Ask
After discussing passover, your child might also ask:
Why do Jewish people eat matzah during Passover?
Matzah is flat, unleavened bread that reminds people how the Israelites fled Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have time to rise. Eating matzah during Passover keeps that memory alive.
What is a Seder?
A Seder is the special dinner held on the first night (or first two nights) of Passover. Families follow a set order of prayers, stories, songs, and special foods to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
What is the afikomen?
The afikomen is a piece of matzah that is broken off and hidden during the Seder. Children search for it, and whoever finds it usually gets a small prize. The Seder cannot end until the afikomen is found and eaten.
How long does Passover last?
Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight days for many Jewish communities outside of Israel. The Seder dinner takes place on the first night or the first two nights.
What are the ten plagues in the Passover story?
The ten plagues include water turning to blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, disease on livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the passing over of the firstborn. They were sent to convince the Pharaoh to free the Israelites.
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